From Wikipedia
Taoism (modernly: Daoism) is a philosophical and religious tradition that emphasizes living in harmony with the Tao (modernly romanized as “Dao”). The term Tao means “way”, “path” or “principle”, and can also be found in Chinese philosophies and religions other than Taoism. In Taoism, however, Tao denotes something that is both the source and the driving force behind everything that exists. It is ultimately ineffable: “The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao.”
The keystone work of literature in Taoism is the Tao Te Ching, a concise and ambiguous book containing teachings attributed to Laozi (Chinese: 老子; pinyin: Lǎozi; Wade–Giles: Lao Tzu). Together with the writings of Zhuangzi, these texts build the philosophical foundation of Taoism. This philosophical Taoism, individualistic by nature, is not institutionalized. Institutionalized forms, however, evolved over time in the shape of a number of different schools, often integrating beliefs and practices that even pre-dated the keystone texts – as, for example, the theories of the School of Naturalists, which synthesized the concepts of yin-yang and the Five Elements. Taoist schools traditionally feature reverence for Laozi, immortals or ancestors, along with a variety of divination and exorcism rituals, and practices for achieving ecstasy, longevity or immortality.
Taoist propriety and ethics may vary depending on the particular school, but in general tends to emphasize wu-wei (action through non-action), “naturalness”, simplicity, spontaneity, and the Three Treasures: compassion, moderation, and humility.
Taoism has had profound influence on Chinese culture in the course of the centuries, and clerics of institutionalised Taoism (Chinese: 道士; pinyin: dàoshi) usually take care to note distinction between their ritual tradition and the customs and practices found in Chinese folk religion as these distinctions sometimes appear blurred. Chinese alchemy (especially neidan), Chinese astrology, Zen Buddhism, several martial arts, Traditional Chinese medicine, feng shui, and many styles of qigong have been intertwined with Taoism throughout history. Beyond China, Taoism also had influence on surrounding societies in Asia.
My Own Writing
Taoism emphasizes balance and flow and harmony with nature. It also understands how complex systems often behave in paradoxical and unexpected ways.
More elements of Taoism:
– Emphasis on self-knowledge and self-cultivation
– wu wei: acting without forcing
– simplicity
– importance of the empty spaces, the intervals of time
– patterns
– open-mindedness
– adaptability
– flexibility (yielding)
– patience
– appreciation of the present moment
– positioning and timing
– use of natural symbols and metaphors to explain concepts (e.g water—the softest of all things—yielding and flexible but able to reshape coastlines)
– personal experience over received dogma
– how each extreme creates its opposite (yin and yang)
There are many similarities beyween dynamic systems theory and Taoism. They both emphasize cycles, feedback loops, the relationships between the objects that compose the system, and the counter-intuitive, unintended effects of trying to change or control the system.
Wu Wei literally means “not doing” but it really means “not forcing.” It means finding and using the energy that’s already flowing through the channels as they exist, without trying to force it. Capitalism is actually an example of this. Rather than exhorting people to do the right thing, you take advantage of their natural self-interest.
Book Excerpts
365 Tao. By Deng Ming-Dao. 1992.
Tao Te Ching. By Lao Tzu.
The Tao of Inner Peace. By Diane Dreher. 1990, 2000.